Doc/Fest Blog
Spring season of docs
By Hussain Currimbhoy 03 March, 2010
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will hit the London screens from March 17th until the 26th. This is one of those events that I’m coincidentally never around for, but all that might change this year. Book
Sheffield Doc/Fest will be co-presenting the screening of ‘Enemies of the People’ (produced by doc diva, Sandra Whipham) as well as ‘Wagah’, one of my favourite short documentary works to screen at Doc/Fest last year. Should I head down this year I’ll be def checking out ‘Budrus’ about a Palestinian town’s effort to unite both sides of the political divide to keep ‘the wall’ from destroying their town. What can I say, I got a soft spot. ‘The Red Chapel’ is another great Dane of a doc that is fun but with some deceptive dark corners – fresh from Sundance and the like – but will also be checking out ‘The Sun Behind The Clouds’ about Tibet just to hear His Holiness chuckle at one of his own jokes. When you absolutely positively have view every doc in the room do not miss In The Land Of The Freea brand new doc will be at the fest and will be in cinemas later in March, with Samuel L Jackson narrating.
With plenty of filmmakers in attendance this year means the festival themes of accountability, justice and migration will get a good working out at the Q&As, I’m sure. If you have no other docs to see check it out at Human Rights Watch give ‘Women Without Men’ a whirl. Is it just me or is it the most disjointed, badly scripted, woefully directed, WESTERN view of Iranian political history ever?
The winning Current TV pitch at Doc/Fest last year, ‘Vigilante Britain’ has been made and will be screening on March 8th at 10pm on Current TV (Sky 183/Virgin 155). There will be lots more like this on Current to come so be sure to check it out!
Speaking of pitching The Engine Room Pitch in Birmingham is closing. The last one was sold out and was huge so be sure to check out the Doc/Fest site for entry details.. It’ll be at the Flatpack Festival, one of the best festivals around for audience, vitality and forward thinking. What better place to do a pitch workshop.
If I didn’t mention screenings, I’d be missing something. ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop’ featuring/omitting Banksy will be in UK cinemas as of March 5th and the Sheffield Documentary Collective http://www.sortoffilms.co.uk/collective/index.htm will be holding its next meeting at the Showroom Bar (or the Rutland depending on the quiz night numbers) on the 9th should any of you out there want to strike Sheffield’s doc community at its core. Its going to be great fun afterward in the Showroom bar discussing who we think the Banksy is... It’ll be like Sparticus in no time.
Check out ‘Rough Aunties’ if you are one of the few to have still not seen it at ICA this month to get a real live Q&A with director, Kim Longinotto hosted by Nick Broomfield. Could you ask for any more doc submersion and insight for nine quid?
Finally, I’ll be on BBC Radio Sheffield this Friday to talk about ‘the arts’ with some of Sheffield’s leading artists. How long do you think it’ll take for us to get onto Sheffield’s bid to become City of Culture then to have a rant about Ray Gosling’s (Grierson prize winner, filmmaker and gay rights activist) admission to murder on national tv? Why can’t all doc – directors be so open.
Keep an eye on this space for updates on Doc/Fest submissions – they open on Monday March 8th. But you know that already.